The push for a boycott
comes as Burger King plans to renounce its corporate citizenship
in the United States and reincorporate in Canada. Although Burger
King itself will continue to be run out of Miami, the company’s
new headquarters will officially be located in Toronto.

Known as a “tax inversion,” the move will allow Burger King to
evade the 35 percent corporate tax rate in the US – the highest
in the world, though most large corporations end up paying a
significantly lower rate. In Canada, the corporate tax rate is 15
percent.

Already, reaction to the development has been angry, with many
Americans urging their fellow citizens to stop spending their
dollars at the restaurant. Soon after the news broke on Tuesday,
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) joined the chorus.

“Burger King’s decision to abandon the United States means
consumers should turn to Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers or
White Castle sliders. Burger King has always said ‘Have it Your
Way’; well my way is to support two Ohio companies that haven’t
abandoned their country or customers,” he said in a
statement to CBS Cleveland.

“To help business grow in America, taxpayers have funded
public infrastructure, workforce training, and incentives to
encourage R&D and capital investment. Runaway corporations
benefited from those policies but want U.S. companies to pay
their share of the tab.”

On Facebook, people have flooded the company’s
page, denouncing its decision and promising to take their
business elsewhere.

“I think it's despicable you demand taking our tax dollars by
paying your employees below the poverty line, yet you look for a
way to lessen your tax bill by buying a company based in another
country,” James Reed wrote in a comment.

“Pull that tax inversion stunt and I'll never spend another
penny in any of your establishments,” added Mike Robinette.
“I'll also petition my Congressman to ensure all Burger Kings
on US Military installations are closed since we should be
supporting US corporations on our military bases.”

In a statement on the matter, Burger King Executive Chairman Alex
Behring said the move is “not being driven by tax
rates.”

Once the deal is finalized, Burger King is expected to reach
roughly $23 billion in sales worldwide, making it the third
largest fast-food company, behind McDonald and Yum Foods (KFC,
Taco Bell).

Concerned over the possibility that other corporations may decide
to flee the US (Walgreens decided not to after facing backlash
from Americans and politicians), Brown said a global minimum tax
needs to be implemented to prevent companies from avoiding taxes.

“We need an immediate fix to forestall a flood of these
dangerous inversions and a long term solution that lowers
corporate tax rates while instituting a country-by-country global
minimum tax,” he said. “This kind of common sense reform
will close down tax havens that cost our country revenue and cost
American jobs."

“Lowering the statutory corporate tax rate would put
companies on a level playing field with foreign competitors and
reduce the incentive for them to shift jobs and profits overseas.
Creating a global minimum tax rate will increase investment in
the United States, raise revenue, and prevent a global
race-to-the-bottom.”

Burger King’s decision has also rankled those on the left because
of the involvement of billionaire Warren Buffet, who is putting
up some of the $11 billion needed for the company to buy Tim
Hortons. In the past, Warren Buffett has advocated for a minimum
tax on millionaires, causing friction with those on the right
side of the political spectrum. Now, however, some on the left
are criticizing him for holding a double standard.

As noted by the Huffington Post, though, Burger King is not
currently being run by an American firm, meaning it likely
doesn’t care – yet, anyway – about the uproar the purchase is
causing.

“The private equity fund that currently runs Burger King, 3G
Capital, is Brazilian,” wrote Mark Gongloff at the website.
“It does not give a cold french fry whether Burger King is
based in Miami, Toronto, or Rigel IV. Burger King may be an
American brand, but it is only barely an American company.”